Boat lifting and mooring device



Sept. 24, 1968 T. R. VILTER BOAT LiFTING AND MOORING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 25, 1966 Sept. 24, 1968 T. R. VILTER 3,402,828

BOAT LIFTING AND MOORING DEVICE Filed Aug. 23, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 :1: fle 7 54 54 54 If 5:9!

Sept. 24, 1968 "r. R. V|L..TER v 3,402,328

BOAT LIF'IING AND MOORING DEVICE 4 Sheets-Sheet (5 Filed Aug. 25, l96

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BOAT LIFTING AND MOORING DEVICE Filed Aug. 23, 1966 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 I r 1 K 1 55 57 20 57 55 Hawaii Elli?! United States Patent Office 3,402,828 Patented Sept. 24, 1968 3,402,828 BOAT LIFTING AND MOORING DEVICE Thomas R. Vilter, Oconomowoc, Wis., assiguor to Hydraulic Unit Specialties Company, Pewaukee, Wis., a corporation of Wisconsin Filed Aug. 23, 1966, Ser. No. 574,439 Claims. (Cl. 214-1) ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A boat lifting unit supported from spaced columns has cantilever arms projecting outwardly over a stable base structure from which the columns rise. The arms are engageable under the hull of a boat to lift it out of the water during the application of power to the lifting unit to carry it upwardly along the columns.

This invention relates to improvements in mooring devices for small boats, and its main objective is to provide a simple but sturdy mooring device that can be manufactured and sold at low cost, and which is reliably capable of lifting a small boat out of water and safely holding it moored in an elevated position removed from the harmful effects of wave and Wind action.

Boat mooring devices of this nature are ordinarily supported on the bottom of a lake or other body of water, alongside a pier or dock. In the past, such devices were characterized by cumbrous supporting framework, usually comprising four upright posts and opposite side and end frames defining an elongated stall into which the boat to be moored could be floated, from one end of the stall. They were further burdened with complicated lever and/or cable systems which were operable to raise slings or other boat supporting means into engagement with the underside of a boat in the stall, and lift the boat a dis tance above water level.

In contrast, it is a purpose of this invention to provide a greatly simplified boat lifting and mooring device which features a fork-like boat supporting unit that is movable up and down relative to a rigid supporting structure having but a single pair of upright posts or columns upon which the boat supporting unit is slidably mounted with the opposite arms of its fork projecting in cantilever fashion to one side of an upright plane intersection the columns and over base means forming a part of the supporting structure.

Another object of the invention is to provide a fork lift type of boat mooring device such as described, wherein a hydraulic cylinder is connected with the supporting structure and the fork unit in an exceptionally simple way to enable the latter to be easily lifted and lowered without danger of it cooking or binding upon the supporting columns which guide its up and down motion,

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, this invention resides in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts substantially as hereinafter described and more particularly defined by the appended claims, it being understood that such changes in the precise embodiment of the hereindisclosed invention may be made as come within the scope of the claims.

The accompanying drawings illustrate two complete examples of the physical embodiments of the invention, constructed according to the best modes so far devised for the practical application of the principles thereof, and in which:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of a fork lift boat mooring device of this invention;

FIGURE 2 is a plan view thereof:

FIGURE 3 is a side elevational view of the device illustrating how it functiOns to lift a small boat out of a body of water;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross sectional detail view takien on the line 4-4 in FIGURE 3, and at an enlarged sca e;

FIGURE 5 is a rear elevational view of the device with its fork lift unit raised upwardly off of the columns of the supporting structure to show how easily the two main components of the device can be assembled and disassembled; and

FIGURE 6 is a view similar to FIGURE 3, showing a slightly modified embodiment of the invention.

Referring now more particularly to the drawings, the boat lifting and mooring device of this invention is comprised of but two main but readily separable components best seen in FIGURE 5, namely a rigid supporting structure 10 and a fork lift unit 11.

The supporting structure 10 comprises a pair of upright spaced apart posts or columns 12 which are prefer ably hollow and of square cross section, and a base provided by a pair of elongated base members 13, one for each column and from which the column rises. The two columns 12 are rigidly joined together by a hollow cross beam 14 extending between and welded to their lower ends.

The base members extend forwardly to the same side of a vertical plane intersecting the columns, preferably in divergent relationship to one another as seen best in FIGURE 2. Hence, their outer or forward ends are not only remote from the columns but are spaced apart a substantial distance greater than the columns. Pads 15 of substantial area are secured to the underside of each base member at each end thereof to minimize the tendency of the base to settle into sand or other soft material of which the lake bottom is comprised.

The inner ends of the base members 13 are welded at right angles to upright hollow column sections 16 of square cross section and of a size to telescopically fit into the lower end portions of the columns 12. While these lower column sections 16 in effect form part of the column structure, they are actually part of the base and provide for detachment thereof from the columns as well as for individual adjustment of the two base members to compensate for sloping bottoms upon which they rest. For this purpose, each of the column sections 16 is releasably secured to its main column by a bolt 17 that extends through a hole .(not shown) in the section 16, and through a selected one of a series of vertically spaced holes 18 in the main column. Each bolt 17 also serves to hold one end of an angled brace 19 connected to its main column 12, the other end of the brace being bolted or otherwise secured to the associated base member in any desired manner.

It is significant to note that the crossbeam 14 joins the two main columns 12 in positions such that a common vertical plane containing their axes passes through two opposite corners of each column, and so that their fiat sides are all disposed at angles of 45 to said plane. In addition, the base members 13 extend divergently from the lower portions of the column sections 16, preferably at angles of 30 out of normal with respect to said plane, so as to be at an angle of 60 to one another.

The boat lifting and supporting unit 11 comprises a fork structure having a pair of opposite horizontal arms 20, which are parallel and spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the columns 12. These arms extend forwardly from upper arm sections 21 to which they are rigidly secured as by welding, and the sections 21 extend upwardly and rearwardly across the columns 12, which are thus loosely embraced thereby. A substantial portion of each upper arm 21 projects downwardly and forwardly of the vertical plane intersecting the columns 12, while the extreme top portions of the upper arms are located rearwardly of said plane.

The fork structure 11 is slidably mounted on the main columns 12 and guided thereby for up and down motion by means of a pair of coaxial upper rollers 22 freely rotatably mounted on horizontally disposed studs 23 fixed in the top portions of the upper arms in cooperation with a pair of coaxial lower rollers 24 similarly freely rotatably mounted on horizontally disposed studs 25 fixed in the forward portions of the upper arms. Each of these rollers has a groove 26 in its periphery, so that the upper rollers 22 ride up and down on the vertical tracks 22' provided by the rearwardly facing corners of the main columns, while the lower rollers 24 ride up and down upon the "vertical tracks 24' afforded by the forwardly facing corners of the columns.

FIGURE 4 best indicates that the studs 23 and 25 of each pair thereof not only project toward one another but that they are enlarged as at 27 adjacent to their connections with the upper arms 21 so as to hold the rollers spaced from their respective upper arms 21 at a distance assuring proper registry of their grooved peripheries with the forwardly and rearwardly facing corners of the columns 12.

Inthe fork lift unit illustrated, the studs 23 and 25 are extended to pass through suitable holes in the opposite legs 28 of an inverted U-shaped bridge member 29 which forms part of the for-k structure and serves to rigidly connect the upper arms 21 thereof. This bridge member fits between the columns 12, and its legs 28 are provided by substantially fiat plates normal to the vertical plane intersecting the columns, and depending from a hollow beam 30 that provides the bight of the inverted U-shaped bridge.

Spacers 31 encircling the studs 23-25 hold the bridge member 29 centered between the columns 12, with its bight 30 extending lengthwise between the columns and in the vertical plane intersecting them. Nuts 32 threaded onto the extremities of the studs hold the bridge member operatively connected to the arms of the fork structure.

With the construction described thus far, the bight 30 of the bridge member is disposed directly over the crossbeam 14 on the supporting structure but a distance thereabove and also above both sets of rollers 22-24. In addition, the lower front rollers 24 act as fulcrums about which the fork structure tends to swing in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in FIGURE 3, due to the weight of the forwardly projecting cantilever arms 20 of which the fork structure is comprised. This tendency of the fork structure to swing in a counterclockwise direction (FIG- URE 3) about the lower front rollers 24 assures that the upper rear rollers 22 will be held in firm engagement with the rearwardly facing tracks on the columns. Hence, the upper and lower sets of rollers cooperate to freely slidably mount the fork structure on the columns with the arms 20 of the fork structure extending horizontally forwardly from the columns, in cantilever fashion.

The bridge member 29 is reinforced by a crossbar 33 extending between and welded to the lower portions of its legs 28. The fork structure is also reinforced by a crossbar 34 extending between and welded to gusset plates 35 affixed to the angle joints between the cantilever arms 20 and the upper sections 21 thereof.

FIGURES 1 and 5 illustrate one way in which force applying means can be connected to the fork structure to provide for raising and lowering the same, and to also hold the fork structure elevated an extent such that a boat on its arms 20 will be maintained in a safe out of water mooring position. The force applying means comprises an actuator which can be any of several known types, including those having relatively extensible and retractable components such as are found in jacks of various design. The actuator 36 here shown by way of example is provided by one single acting hydraulic cylinder 37 having an extensible and retractable piston rod 38. A single hose line 39 provides for the supply of hydraulic fluid under pressure to the actuator for raising the fork structure, and for the exhaust of fluid from the cylinder when the fork structure is to be lowered.

The hydraulic actuator is operatively connected to the supporting and fork structures in an exceptionally simple manner, with its cylinder lowermost and in an upright position on the crossbeam 14 of the supporting structure, and with its piston rod extending upwardly toward the beam 30 of the bridge member 29. As mentioned earlier, the beams 14 and 30 are of hollow construction. The lower beam 14 has a top wall 40 which is fiat and horizontal, and a bottom wall that has a flat reinforced center portion 41 directly under a hole 42 in the medial portion of the top wall.

The cylinder 37 projects downwardly through the hole 42 and its bottom merely rests upon the reinforced center portion 41 of the bottom wall so that the latter receives the reaction forces incidental to lifting the fork structure. To best enable the crossbeam to bear these reaction forces and still allow its fabrication from substantially light weight sheet metal, it is provided with opposite bottom wall portions 43 which diverge upwardly and outwardly from the reinforced center portion 41 so as to be placed in tension by the load on the actuator 36.

The beam 30 of the bridge structure is substantially a mirror image of the crossbeam 14 of the supporting structure. Its fiat bottom wall 44 opposes the flat top wall 40 of the crossbeam 14 and has a central hole 45 therein through which the piston rod 38 of the hydraulic actuator projects. The outer end of the piston rod bears against a flat reinforced central portion 46 of the top wall, at the underside thereof, and if desired, it may engage in a collar 47 welded to the center portion of the top wall to help steady the actuator. Opposite downwardly inclined top wall portions 48 at either side of its central portion 46 are similar to the inclined bottom wall portions 43 of the crossbeam 14 in that only tension forces are imposed thereon.

With the arrangement described, the hole 42 and the fiat center portion 41 in the crossbeam 14 cooperate to in effect define a socket in which the cylinder 37 of the hydraulic actuator is received. Similarly, the collar 47 in the bridge beam 30 cooperates with the fiat bottom portion 46 thereof to define a second socket in which the piston rod 38 of the actuator is received. These sockets allow the actuator 36 to be operatively assembled in the device in an exceptionally stable fashion without need for screws, bolts, pins or the like for that purpose.

It is also significant to note that force is applied to the bridge member 29 at a location a distance above both sets of rollers 22-24 on the fork structure, at a point midway between the columns 12 and lying in the vertical plane containing their axes. Accordingly, there is no tendency for the bridge member to twist or turn in any fashion that would make the rollers 22-24 bind against the tracks on the columns or to in any way disturb the equal forces which the rollers exert upon the columns by the weight of the fork structure alone or when encumbered by a boat resting upon the arms 20 thereof.

As seen best in FIGURE 3, the boat lifting and mooring device of this invention is adapted to be set into the water alongside a pier 50, with its boat supporting arms 20 projecting outwardly away from the pier. A hydraulic pump 51 of the hand operated type is preferably mounted on the pier near the device and connected with the hose 39 leading to the cylinder 37. The pump can be of the type having a self-contained reservoir and a selector (not shown) governing raise, lower and hold operation of the cylinder.

Individual adjustment of the base members may be necessary to assure that the columns 12 will be in vertical positions despite the fact that the lake bottom upon which the base members rest may slope downwardly, away from the shore line.

The fork structure 11 is ordinarily lowered so that its arms 20 will be submerged far enough to allow a boat to be moored to be floated into position over the arms. Thus, when the pump is operated to elevate the fork structure, the arms will be lifted to carry a boat thereover upwardly out of the water to a position located a distance above water level and at which the fork structure may be held by its actuator to maintain the boat safely moored and removed from wave action.

A pair of chocks 52 is preferably mounted on each arm 20 of the fork structure, to enable a boat to be supported in stable fashion upon the arms. Each of these chocks is supported for rocking motion about a pivot pin 53 carried by and spanning the space between the upper end portions of a pair of bearing plates 54 that can be adjustably fixed to the arm at any desired location. For this purpose, the lower portions of the bearing plates are engaged over the sides of the arm and tightly clamped thereto by means of a pair of bolts 55 that rest on the top of the arm, and a single bolt 56 that passes under the arm in contiguous relation thereto. Hence, adjustment of the spacing between the chocks on each arm or to substantially align them with the chocks on the other arm merely involves loosening of the bolts 55 and 56 on their hearing plates to free the latter for sliding motion lengthwise of the arm, and then retightening of the bolts when the plates are in the desired positions.

The pivot pins 53 for the chocks are located a substantial distance above the tops ofthe arms 20, and pass through the chocks closer to one end thereof than to the other. Hence the chocks normally occupy a position at which their longer ends engage the tops of the arms, due to the overbalancing effect thereof. These longer ends of the chocks are beveled at their undersides as at 57, so that when the chocks on each arm are disposed with their longer ends extending toward one another, their tops diverge angularly outwardly toward the shorter ends of the chocks and define a shallow V-shaped support in which the bottom of a boat can nest.

The particular pivotal mounting for the chocks, however, renders them self-adjusting to fit boat bottoms of different sizes and shapes, although it will be appreciated that in some cases the chock spacing may have to be adjusted in the manner described to compensate for large differences in the size or shape of the boat bottom.

The self-adjusting feature of-the chocks can best be seen in FIGURE 3, wherein a boat (indicated in construction lines) is shown resting upon the chocks of one arm 20 inwardly of their pivots. The chocks accordingly assume positions with their longer end portions bearing upon the tops of their arm. The bottom of a boat wider than that indicated, however, would engage the chocks at locations outwardly of their pivots, which would automatically cause the longer ends of the chocks to swing upwardly toward engagement with the boat bottom.

If desired, the fork structure can be held in any raised position independently of the hydraulic cylinder, as by a chain 58. The purpose of the chain is to prevent the fork structure from dropping due to any possible leakage of hydraulic fluid from either the cylinder, the hose 39, or the pump. The chain is freely threaded through an eye 59 permanently secured to the reinforcing pad 46 on the top of bridge beam 30, and any of its links at either end of the chain can be readily hooked over studs 60 fixed to the tops of the columns 12 to shorten or lengthen the chain as needed.

FIGURE 6 illustrates a slightly modified form of the invention wherein the upright columns 12 are so connected to and supported by the base members 13 as to be inclined rearwardly at an angle of about 7 to the vertical. This 7 tilt-back of the columns enhances the stability of the device with a boat in moored position on the fork structure, and obviates the need for making the base members longer if greater stability is desired.

From the foregoing description, together with the accompanying drawings, it will be apparent that this invention provides a simple but efficient device for lifting a small boat out of water and for holding it in a mooring position at which it is safe from the damaging effects that wind and wave action often haveupon floating boats tethiered to a pier or dock.

What is claimed as my invention is:

1. In a boat lifting and mooring device:

(A) a rigid supporting structure comprising (1) upright guide means comprising a pair of spaced apart columns,

(2) and base means from which the columns rise said base means comprising a pair of elongated base members, one for each column, and extending forwardly from the bottoms of the columns to one side of an upright plane intersecting the columns;

(B) a rigid boat supporting unit having a pair of opposite, spaced apart cantilever arms to support a boat;

(C) means mounting the boat supporting unit on said columns for up and down motion therealong with its arms extending substantially horizontally forwardly in cantilever fashion away from the columns, to the same side of said plane as the base members, so that the weight of a boat in position on said arms does not tend to tip the device;

(D) force applying means operatively connected with the supporting structure and with the boat supporting unit to provide for lifting the latter along with a boat in position upon the arms thereof to different elevations on the guide means;

(E) each of said columns comprising upper and lower column members telescopically engaged with one another;

(F) a crossbeam rigidly joining said upper column members;

(G) means for releasably holding each lower column member in different positions of telescopic adjustment relative to'its upper column member;

(H) and said base members having outer portions which are spaced apart farther than the spacing of the columns and of the arms on the boat supporting unit, and being fixed to the lower column members so as to be connected with the upper column members for individual adjustment to different levels relative to said crossbeam and thereby provide for leveling the device on an inclined lake bottom.

2. In a boat lifting and mooring device:

(A) a rigid supporting structure comprising (1) a pair of spaced apart columns providing guide means intersected by an upright plane, and of square cross section,

(2) a crossbeam rigidly joining the columns and holding the same with two opposite corner portions of each column in a plane normal to said upright plane and defining tracks on the forward and rear face of the columns,

(3) and base means from which the columns rise,

comprising a pair of elongated base members, .one for each column, and extending forwardly from the bottoms of the columns to one side of said upright plane, said base members having outer portions which are spaced apart farther than the spacing of the columns;

(B) a rigid boat supporting unit having a pair of opposite spaced apart cantilever arms to support a boat.

(C) means on the boat supporting unit mounting the same on the columns for up and down motion therealong, with its arms extending substantially horizontally from the columns to the same side of said upright plane as the base members so that the weight of a boat in position on said arms does not tend to tip the device, said mounting means comprising (1) a first pair of grooved rollers freely rotatable on a substantially common horizontal axis and engaging the tracks on the forward faces of the columns,

(2) and a second pair of grooved rollers freely rotatable on a substantially common horizontal axis spaced a distance above said first axis and engaging the tracks on the rear faces of the columns;

(D) and force applying means operatively connected with the supporting structure and with the boat supporting unit to provide for lifting the latter along with a boat in position upon the arms thereof to different elevations on the columns.

3. The boat lifting and mooring device of claim 2,

further characterized by:

(A) said columns comprising upper column members with which said rollers engage and which are joined by said crossbeam and lower column members telescopically engaged with the upper column members and similarly of square cross section;

(B) means for releasably hold-ing each lower column member in different positions of telescopic adjustment relative to its upper column member;

(C) and said elongated base member being rigidly joined to the lower column members and extending forwardly therefrom in divergent relation to one another.

4. In a boat lifting and mooring device:

(A) a rigid supporting structure comprising:

(1) upright means,

(2) and base means from which the guide means rises, said base means having portions extending forwardly from the guide means to one side of an upright plane intersecting the guide means;

(B) a rigid boat supporting unit having a pair of opposite, spaced apart cantilever arms to support a boat;

(C) means mounting the boat supporting unit on said guide means for up and down motion therealong with its arms extending substantially horizontally forwardly in cantilever fashion away from the guide means, to the same side of said plane as said portions of the base means, so that the weight of a boat in position on said arms does not tend to tip the device;

(D) a pair of chock supports on each arm, each such chock support comprising:

(1) a pair of bearing plates flatwise engaged over opposite sides of the arm and having portions projecting a distance upwardly above the arm,

(2) and bolts extending through said plates both directly above and directly below the arm to releasably and adjustably clamp the plates thereto;

(E) an elongated chock loosely received between the upwardly projecting portions of each pair of bearing plates and extending lengthwise along its arm;

(F) a pivot for each chock, carried by and spanning the upwardly projecting portions of its bearing plates;

(G) the chocks on each arm being overbalanced on their pivots to resist pivotal motion thereof away from positions at which their adjacent portions normally engage the top of their arm;

wardly to one side of a plane containing the axes of said columns; (B) a fork structure having:

(1) an inverted U-shaped bridge member positioned between the columns, the bight of said member providing a beam which is located a distance above and vertically opposes said crossbeam, and said bridge member having opposite leg portions which extend downwardly along the inner sides of the columns,

(2) a pair of boat supporting arms having portions which extend downwardly along the outer sides of the columns and then forwardly in cantilever fashion to the same side of said plane as said portions of the base means,

(3) and pairs of upper and lower rollers respectively engaging the rearwardly and forwardly facing sides of the columns to mount the fork structure thereon for up and down motion, said rollers being journalled on studs which extend between and secure each arm to the adjacent leg portion of the bridge member;

(C) said bridge beam having a downwardly opening socket located medially between the columns in the plane containing their axes, and a distance above both pairs of rollers;

(D) said crossbeam having means defining a socket which registers vertically with the socket on the bridge beam and opens upwardly toward the latter;

(E) and jack means having opposite ends received in said sockets, to provide for raising and lowering the fork structure on the columns.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS '1,200,986 10/1916 Richter 9-31 2,482,211 9/1949 Reichardt 187-9 2,493,824 1/ 1950 'Noros 187-9 2,620,932 12/ 1952 Alpine 187-9 XR 2,732,087 1/1956 Pratt 1879 XR 2,867,409 1/1959 Southerwick 254-2 2,963,870 12/ 1960 Machol et al. 6148 XR 3,011,670 12/1961 Chatterton et a1. 214-505 3,260,377 7/1966 Vilter 2l41 OTHER REFERENCES Newsweek, Nov. 9, 1964.

ROBERT G. SHERIDAN, Primary Examiner, F. E. WERNER, Assistant Examiner. 

